1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rifle rests and supports for supporting a firearm while shooting, but more particularly to rifle rests and supports capable of being positioned on a vertical support surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art to which the present invention relates includes a variety of rests and supports for steadying rifles and pistols (hereinafter simply "firearm" or "firearms" depending upon the context) when shooting. The rifle rests and supports comprising the art to which the invention relates includes benches, shooting bags, chairs with firearm supporting frame segments, as well as vises, pillows, and shooting blocks on which one supports a firearm when shooting. All such devices provide the shooter with a means of steadying the firearm to provide a greater degree of accuracy for each shot. Some rests incorporate an anchoring means enabling the firearm to be rigidly bolted or clamped into a shooting position so as to provide minimal variance between the sight line on each successive shot. All such devices are known to be utilized on a horizontal plane or surface.
A common drawback associated with all of the known devices and apparatuses for supporting a firearm is the inability of such devices to support the firearm from a vertical surface such as a tree, door frame, telephone pole, car door edge, or virtually any vertical support surface. For example, firearm vices, shooting bags, bipods and tripods, are all designed to be positioned upon a horizonal plane such as a tabletop or other horizontal support surface.
The tactical weaponry of law enforcement and military personnel typically incorporate a bipod or tripod arrangement. The bipod or tripod serves as a two or three point contact, respectively, to prevent or minimize wavering of the rifle barrel when shooting. The two or three point contact enables the shooter to support the firearm with one hand, and shoulder in the case of a rifle, without the necessity of having the free hand support the forend portion of the firearm.
The bipod or tripod arrangement, therefore, allows the sniper to position himself in a strategic location and steady the firearm when making the shot, but limits his versatility and effectiveness due to his inability to use the bipod or tripod on vertical support surfaces. Furthermore, because law enforcement and military snipers must often position themselves in awkward and obscure cover in order to prevent detection, the sniper may not have the opportunity to select a horizontal surface on which to lay and rest the rifle, because of the terrain and/or foliage to his front.
Accordingly, in a variety of combat situations where it is not practical or safe for the shooter to lie down on or utilize a horizontal surface and where there is no convenient horizontal support on which to rest the firearm, the shooter must support the firearm, such as the rifle, at the forend by positioning his free hand (the hand not being utilized to pull the trigger and fire the weapon) on the forend of the stock or barrel of the rifle. In short range shooting situations this two hand manner of aiming is not particularly troublesome because a slight amount of wavering or misalignment of the sights or rifle scope will not produce a significant or appreciable degree of inaccuracy. The problem is compounded, however, when the shooter desires to shoot long range targets and any misalignment of the sights or wavering of the weapon would cause the "off target" projection of the bullet to be exaggerated.
For example, in military combat situations where a specially trained military sniper uses a sniper rifle, such as a Barrett 50 caliber semiautomatic rifle which is known to be one of the finest of its kind in the world, to shoot a target at a significant range often more than 1,000 yards, the shooter must be extremely still because any wavering however slight will cause the shooter to miss the target entirely. For example, when a rifleman is steadying him or herself and aiming through either open sights or a telescopic sight and preparing to make the shot, the individual's heartbeat will often provide enough wavering of the rifle to cause an inaccurate shot. In this fashion, the fewer contact points of the shooter on the weapon provides greater accuracy.
Accordingly, until now a multi-functional, stable, easily assembled and mounted firearm rest for supporting a firearm on a vertical surface has not been invented.